Declining support: Backing for South Africa’s ruling ANC plunges as former President Jacob Zuma's party gains, a new opinion poll shows. https://bloom.bg/4aSpvLH

Cedi woes: Ghana’s inflation rate climbed to a four-month high in March as a slump in the currency pushed up the cost of imports such as fuel and food. https://bloom.bg/43Rl9Ca

Funding startups: Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings and former Alphabet CEO Eric Schmidt's foundation are taking part in a funding round for an African solar irrigation startup. https://bloom.bg/3JgkkcB

Watch Africa Amplified for a deep dive into the region’s biggest stories: https://bloom.bg/3u0S3Cz

Election hopes: Julius Malema, leader of South Africa’s leftist EFF, says he can offer investors something the country’s current rulers lack: clarity, consistency and transparency. https://bloom.bg/4atxlv7

Cocoa surge: With global prices for the commodity hitting $10,000 a ton, there's a rush to plant more trees in West Africa. https://bloom.bg/3vYDUXA

New listings: WeBuyCars gained on its trading debut on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, marking the start of a potential revival in capital market activity after a years-long lull. https://bloom.bg/4cTZJZe

Sign up for our twice-weekly newsletter on where sub-Saharan Africa stands now — and where it’s headed at https://bloom.bg/3OsOf3y. Next Africa publishes every Tuesday and Friday.

Cathie Wood’s Ark Investment Management announced it holds a stake in Silicon Valley artificial intelligence darling OpenAI, a bet that the nascent AI industry will remake the tech landscape. More here: https://bloom.bg/3VRmWFn

📷: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

Ambitious Indian finance professionals have never had it so good. While their international compatriots are facing job cuts and curtailed bonuses, for them it's boomtime — and there are eye-popping salaries on offer for the best-of-the-best.

Read here: https://bloom.bg/3vWUpn1

📷: IMC Trading

Naira boom: Nigeria’s naira could extend gains that have already made it the best-performing currency in the world this month, said a Goldman Sachs economist — provided policymakers stay on track. https://bloom.bg/3VQymsV

Failed promise: A $475 million light-rail system serving Ethiopia’s Addis Ababa shows how some China-funded infrastructure investments across the continent are now suffering from neglect. https://bloom.bg/3TUzj0O

Zuma candidacy: South Africa’s electoral commission asked the Constitutional Court to provide clarity on a ruling this week that allows former President Jacob Zuma to run for parliament in upcoming elections. https://bloom.bg/3WewpXB

Sign up for our twice-weekly newsletter on where sub-Saharan Africa stands now — and where it’s headed at https://bloom.bg/3OsOf3y. Next Africa publishes every Tuesday and Friday.

Iran has launched armed drones and missiles against Israel, marking a new and more dangerous phase of the Middle East conflict.

Follow our free live blog for regular updates https://bloom.bg/3UikzdA

📷: Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu/Anadolu

LATEST: US President Joe Biden condemns Iran’s attacks in the “strongest possible terms,” according to a statement from the White House following his call with Netanyahu. He says G7 leaders will convene for a united diplomatic response.

Follow our free live blog for the latest updates: https://bloom.bg/3UikzdA

📷: Leigh Vogel/Bloomberg

🚨 Here's what we know so far:

- Iran attacked Israel in retaliation for strike on embassy compound, after days of threatening action
- Israel says Iran launched over 300 drones and missiles
- US and UK helped intercept drones targeting Israel
- Iran’s mission to the UN said the matter “can be deemed concluded”
- Biden condemns attacks; to convene G7 leaders for diplomatic response

Follow our free live blog for the latest news, analysis and updates: ⬇️ https://bloom.bg/3UikzdA

Global leaders try to lower tensions after Iran’s direct strike on Israel.

Follow our free live blog for the latest https://t.co/dGhIqV5u1z

🚨 Here's what we know so far:

- Iran attacked Israel in retaliation for strike on embassy compound
- Israel says Iran launched over 300 drones and missiles, most of which were downed
- US and UK helped intercept drones targeting Israel
- G-7 leaders condemn strike, urge restraint

Follow our free live blog for the latest news, analysis and updates. ⬇️ https://bloom.bg/3UikzdA

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will step down on May 15 after two decades, handing the reins to his deputy Lawrence Wong. More here: https://bloom.bg/4aAYr3y

📷: Lionel Ng/Bloomberg

Inflation record: Nigerian inflation accelerated more than anticipated to a 28-year high, as a surge in the nation’s currency has yet to reflect on the cost of imported goods. https://bloom.bg/3UiwlEA

Forgotten crisis: One year on, Sudan’s civil war has destroyed its social fabric, sparked the world’s biggest displacement disaster and threatens the largest hunger emergency. https://bloom.bg/4aBHPZC

Brazilian corn: Zimbabwe is considering importing corn from Brazil for the first time since 2014 as the El Niño weather pattern withers crops in the region. https://bloom.bg/3TV8Ccl

Sign up for our twice-weekly newsletter on where sub-Saharan Africa stands now — and where it’s headed at https://bloom.bg/3OsOf3y. Next Africa publishes every Tuesday and Friday.

BREAKING: China’s economic growth beats expectations in the first quarter, rising 5.3% from a year earlier. Follow along for analysis. https://bloom.bg/49FqmOK

The resurgent dollar cut a swath through global currencies, weakening many in Asia through closely watched levels that forced some officials to step in to stem the losses.

A key intervention from China only served to ramp up the pressure with the Indonesian rupiah, India’s rupee and the South Korean won being particularly hit. Read more here: https://bloom.bg/49xPjLW

📷: SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg

John the Second's plan: Zimbabwe’s new central bank governor vows to restore confidence in the institution that’s repeatedly failed to stabilize prices and the nation’s currency. https://bloom.bg/49CCJeu

No free beach: Nigeria’s commercial capital boasts miles of white sand along the Atlantic Ocean that once teemed with locals looking to beat the heat. So what happened? https://bloom.bg/3U1Zwu7

Gold miners tussle: Endeavour Mining has been accused by Lilium Mining of misrepresentation over the sale of two African gold mines, as the fallout from the tenure of ousted CEO Sebastien de Montessus continues. https://bloom.bg/3xHefU8

Sign up for our twice-weekly newsletter on where sub-Saharan Africa stands now — and where it’s headed at https://bloom.bg/3OsOf3y. Next Africa publishes every Tuesday and Friday.

Follow Bloomberg India's WhatsApp channel for the latest news and analysis from India and beyond https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaIfIuQ7oQheLjfN2w1e

Africa's capital flight: The number of millionaires living in Africa dropped by nearly 20,000 in the past decade as they either moved away or saw currency depreciations chip away at their wealth. https://bloom.bg/49EpXMr

Inflation drop: South Africa’s inflation rate dipped to a two-month low in March, but that is unlikely to persuade policymakers to cut borrowing costs. https://bloom.bg/4cU9TZX

ZiG reserves: Zimbabwe won’t print additional ZiG notes unless it has the reserves to back the new currency, the central bank governor says. https://bloom.bg/3xFuS2k

Sign up for our twice-weekly newsletter on where sub-Saharan Africa stands now — and where it’s headed at https://bloom.bg/3OsOf3y. Next Africa publishes every Tuesday and Friday.

Google has fired 28 employees after they were involved in protests against Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion joint contract with Amazon to provide the Israeli government with AI and cloud services. More here: https://bloom.bg/4aTKIW1

📷: Marlena Sloss/Bloomberg

The race for the “world’s best airport” crown has been a two-horse affair in recent years, with Doha’s Hamad International and Singapore Changi leading the pack.

This year the title has switched, with 12-time winner Singapore being edged out of the top spot by its Middle Eastern rival in the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2024. See the full list of the world's best airports here: https://bloom.bg/49Gl7OE

📷: Lauryn Ishak/Bloomberg

Succession problem: The impulsive behavior of Equatorial Guinea's vice president threatens the long-term stability of the Central African state that has been ruled by his father for the past 45 years. https://bloom.bg/3vOf6ll

ZiG gains: Zimbabwe, whose currency declined 80% before being abandoned, is now worried about its new unit appreciating too fast. https://bloom.bg/4d59ovW

Coffee trade: Ethiopia has revised rules to allow foreign companies to buy coffee directly from farmers and processors, the latest in reforms to liberalize Africa’s biggest producer of the commodity. https://bloom.bg/4cYFF7T

Sign up for our twice-weekly newsletter on where sub-Saharan Africa stands now — and where it’s headed at https://bloom.bg/3OsOf3y. Next Africa publishes every Tuesday and Friday.